CENTURY BY COUTTS

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32194, 13 January 1970, Page 11

CENTURY BY COUTTS

(N.Z. Press Association) HAMILTON. A century by P. J. C. Coutts distinguished Wellington’s first innings of 300 for seven wickets on the first day of the Plunket Shield cricket match against Northern Districts, at Hamilton, yesterday. Although slow and not chanceless, Coutts’s 102 was of great value to Wellington which, on winning the toss and batting first, found the pitch one of which to be wary, especially in the first session of play. The pitch appeared to be

playing better in the second session, and the score advanced from 90 for one to 200 for one. But in -he final session Northern Districts came right back into a game which had appeared to be slipping away from it. Expensive Mistakes Missed chances were very expensive to Northern Districts early in the day. However, the final session produced some outstanding work, especially from J. G. Gibson and J. H. Blackmore in the running out of B. A. Bolton and J. F. M. Morrison, respectively. Coutts shared an opening stand of 81 with B. A. G. Murray and a second with G. P. Bilby. Coutts was at the wicket 381 minutes for his 102, during which he hit a glorious straight 6 and four 4s. Murray’s 50 was a mixture, i He placed some great shots and timed his on-side strokes extremely well, but at times he was worried by the pace of the pitch and the lack of bounce. Even in the first session of play the pitch j took appreciable turn. Faster Scorer Bilby played enterprisingly ] for his 84, scored in 185 'minutes and including eight ; fours. He gave Coutts more than two hours start, soon j overtook him, and on his dis-

missal .had a lead of seven runs on Coutts. After six wickets fell in a little over an hour and a half in the final session, I. J. Therkleson and W. A. Greenstreet dug in soundly against what throughout the day was predominantly a spin attack. Some good bowling came from M. J. Horton and K. D. Kennedy, but the best figures were those of the slow leftarm bowler, R. C. Hooton, who showed clever control and variations in taking the wickets of Coutts, Bilby, B. D. Smith, and M. A. Beban. WELLINGTON First Innings B. A. G. Murray c Masters b Kennedy . 50 P. J. C. Coutts lbw b Boston 102 G. P. Billby c Horton b Hooton 84 B. D. Smith c Masters b Hooton o B. A. Bolton run out 1 J. F. M. Morrison run out 23 I. J. Therkleson not out . 18 M. A. Beban c Blackmore b Hooton o W. A. Greenstreet not out 12 Extras (byes 7, leg-byes 3) 10 Total for seven wkts 300 Fall of wickets: one for 81, .two for 219, three for 223, four I for 234. five for 266, six for 268, seven for 268.

Bowling 0 T. C. Masters 10 M 1 R 37 W 0 B. Dunning 8 9 26 0 P. J. Havill .. 13 3 2ft 0 M. J. Horton 31 10 71 0 R. D. Kennedy 35 8 80 1 R. C. Hooton 18 n 38 4 A. D. G. Roberts 3 1 ft 0